 The original, self-released, version of the album was simply titled "Joan Jett" and was sold directly to concert-goers and record stores out of Laguna's trunk.The album sold relatively well, prompting its re-release a year later as "Bad Reputation" on Boardwalk Records, with rearranged but otherwise identical track listing.Jett said that the new title referred to the bad reputation that she had as a former member of The Runaways.