In 1988, she signed with Rough Trade Records and released her self-titled third album, Lucinda Williams, to critical raves.

[2] After signing with Lost Highway records, Williams released the albums Essence (2001), World Without Tears (2003), West (2007), Little Honey (2008), and Blessed (2011), all to further critical and commercial success.

In 2017, This Sweet Old World was released on Highway 20 Records in conjunction with Nashville, Tennessee based distribution company Thirty Tigers, followed by the critically acclaimed Good Souls Better Angels in 2020.

Later that year, Williams began "Lu's Jukebox", a six-episode series of themed live performances.

[4] A collaborative album with Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, titled Vanished Gardens, appeared in 2018 on the Blue Note Records label.