Petroculture in Joni Mitchell and Carole King’s ‘Blue’ and ‘Tapestry’

Introducing Music and Petroculture

This project generally argues that oil capitalism has enabled new forms of feminism in music, in addition to its more well-known environmental devastation. It examines two key 1970s singer-songwriter albums, both recorded in Los Angeles and released in 1971, through the lens of what is called “petroculture”.

Oil capitalism, whether or not it is recognized as such, has influenced every cultural text since the discovery of oil in the US in the 19th century. From natural disasters to the ever-present automobile in film and television, oil is everywhere. And yet, oil is undertheorized as a significant influence on culture, especially in the US. The growing body of writing on oil and culture testifies to a growing awareness of oil’s status as both known and unknown, ever-present and absent. We know oil exists, but we don’t see how it gets produced.