Starting out as a session musician, Holland was one of the founding members of the band Squeeze, where he would perform on their first 3 albums until 1980, where he would focus on a solo career. Starting with the debut EP [r=1104396] in 1978 he would go on to release a host of singles, the solo album Jools Holland Meets Rock 'A' Boogie Billy as well as a full length under the troupe Jools Holland And His Millionaires, all ranging from rockabilly, blues and jazz styles.

Between 1982 to 1987 Holland was a co-presenter for the music television programme [l=The Tube] alongside Paula Yates. In that time he could also be found occasionally guest hosting on MTV.
With the reformation of Squeeze in 1985 Jools Holland would return to playing piano for the group. This would continue until 1990, where he decided to concentrate on his solo career and TV hosting duties.

In 1987 he formed the Jools Holland Big Band, a project that would later be renamed as Jools Holland And His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Between 1990 and 1994 Holland would release a number of albums as a solo act, including 'World Of His Own', 'Solo Piano' and 'The Full Compliment'. The majority of the decade saw him release works under the 'Rhythm & Blues Orchestra' moniker.

From 1992 Holland has presented the music show 'Later... With Jools Holland' and its accompanying New Years Eve specials 'Hootenanny'. It was here that the pianist would invite musicians to perform on stage around their contemporaries as well as on occasion join in.

On 29 November 2002, Holland was in the ensemble of musicians who performed at the Concert for George, which celebrated the music of George Harrison. In January 2005 Holland and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief.

In 2003 Holland received an OBE for his services to the British music industry as a musician and a television presenter.

Other projects include:
Jools Holland And His Millionaires - A group active throughout 1981 on A&M Records.
The Oil City Sheiks - A one off supergroup featuring members of Dr. Feelgood and Lew Lewis from 1979 where they covered Chuck Berry's Don't Take But A Few Minutes.
Ken Bishop's Nice Twelve - A troupe that featured on the UK TV comedy The Young Ones where they performed Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'.
Jools Holland And His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra - Holland's main musical output since 1994's Live Performance.
The Barnestormers - A rockabilly supergroup featuring Chris Cheney & James McDonnell (ex-Dead Men Walking), Australian guitarist Jimmy Barnes & producer Kevin Shirley (AKA The Caveman).
George's Band - Band assembled under the musical direction of Eric Clapton for the "Concert For George" tribute to George Harrison on November 29, 2002, at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
(Holland has also released albums in collaboration with the likes of Tom Jones, Rod Stewart & José Feliciano.)