[1] Warner Bros. was unhappy with the lengthy production surrounding her previous album, Takin' My Time, and the company limited her expenses.

The two parties eventually agreed on an advance of more money, on the condition Raitt would choose a producer with a history of commercial success.

[3][4] In contrast to the eclectic and laid-back sound of her first three albums, Streetlights features simpler arrangements with more string instrumentation, influenced by pop and R&B music.

[2] Nine of the ten tracks on the album are covers of songs by musicians such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and John Prine.

[15] On two stops in Boston and Washington, D.C., Raitt was accompanied by blues musicians Roosevelt Sykes and Sippie Wallace.