14 Musician and Band Names You’ve Likely Been Saying Incorrectly All Along

If your go-to source for music is Spotify, you might be shocked to realize you’ve been saying your favorite artist's name wrong all this time.

1. Rihanna

If you've been pronouncing the “Umbrella” singer’s name as “Ree-AH-na,” it’s time for a change. The correct pronunciation is “Ree-ANN-uh.” It’s no accident she named a song “What’s My Name.”

2. Haim

The trio of sisters go by “Haim,” as in Corey Haim, but the correct pronunciation is “HI-uhm.”

3. Sade

Born Helen Adu, the elegant singer is often mistakenly called “Sadie” or “Shar-day,” but the proper pronunciation is “Sha-DAY.” That’s also the name of her band, though most people recognize Sade as a solo artist.

4. Björk

The Icelandic artist has probably stopped correcting those who pronounce her name as “Bee-york,” but you’ll have a better shot at an autograph if you say it right: “Bee-YERK.”

5. Hozier

Irish singer Hozier has probably heard every variation of his name, from “Hose-ee-air” to “Hozzer.” According to the artist, the correct pronunciation rhymes with “cozier”—it’s “HOH-zee-ur.”

6. David Bowie

Even being one of the most iconic figures in history doesn’t prevent people from mispronouncing your name. David Bowie’s name is not pronounced “Bow-ee” (where “bow” rhymes with “take a bow”). It’s actually “BOH-wee,” similar to “doughy.” In a 2000 interview, when asked about the “BOW-ee” pronunciation, Bowie humorously responded, “I don’t even know how to pronounce it anymore, I’ve lost track. I always thought it was ‘BOH-ee,’ I thought it’s a Scottish name, it must be ‘BOH-ee,’ but no one in Scotland pronounces it like that, they pronounce it ‘BOO-ee’ I think.”

7. Adam Yauch

The Beastie Boys co-founder may have received “Yuck,” but the correct pronunciation is “Yowk.”

8. Ric Ocasek

The Cars frontman’s name is pronounced “Oh-CASS-ick,” not “Oh-CASE-ick.”

9. Ray Davies

The Kinks’ lead vocalist doesn’t pronounce his last name as “Day-vies” but rather “DAY-viz.”

10. Macklemore

The artist behind “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us” often gets called “Mackle-more,” but the correct pronunciation is “MACK-la-more.”

11. Chad Kroger

Nickelback’s Chad Kroger is often called “KROH-ger,” like the grocery store, but as the singer revealed to Loudwire in 2022, the correct way is “KROO-ger.” He added, “Don’t trust the internet... If I just stop and say, ‘Actually, it’s Kroeger,’ I’m gonna look like such a d**k. So I’m just like whatever, I don’t care.”

12. Sleater-Kinney

You might be inclined to pronounce the first part of this rock band’s name, co-founded by Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein, as “SLEE-ter,” but the actual pronunciation is “SLAY-ter.” The band named themselves after a road between Seattle and Portland.

13. Bon Iver

Don’t pronounce this band’s name as “bon-EYE-ver”—it’s “bone-ee-VARE.” The band’s founder, Justin Vernon, shared with Pitchfork, “When I was living up north I wrote a letter. I’d come across a story about this Alaskan town where, during the first snow of the year, the people gather in the town square, hug, kiss, and say ‘Bon Iver.’ I thought that was cool! … Then I found out how it’s spelled [bon hiver] and was disappointed. It didn’t look right. It lacked emotion. I wanted to look at it and feel something. … I almost wanted it to be ‘Bon Iverre,’ the way I saw it, but that didn’t look good either, so I decided to drop the ‘h.’”

14. Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish may have sold millions of albums before reaching the age of 21, but that hasn’t stopped many news outlets from mispronouncing her last name. The correct pronunciation is “EYE-lish,” not “EE-lish” or “EL-ish.”