In honor of Katrina Lenk’s masterful genderbent performance of Tevye, we went down a rabbit hole of the best “If I Were a Rich Man” covers that could be found on YouTube. And yes, we included Gwen Stefani.
Prepare to have All day long I’d biddy-biddy-bum stuck in your head for the end of time. Without further ado, the official rankings:
14. Sesame Street, Monsterpiece Theater version
Love a good Sesame Street bit, but this is kind of a mashup of all the songs of Fiddler on the Roof to help teach kids to count. “Addition, addition” instead of “tradition, tradition.” Great for learning math, not for “If I Were a Rich Man” covers.
13. Vibrasonic, surf music
This will make you feel like it’s California in the 1960s. Which is a bit weird for a song about a Russian shtetl, but hey, we’re all about artistic expression.
12. Louchie Lou & Michie One, Reggae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb-x4tAIGfc
Very strange… but it somehow works?!?!
11. Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Violin Version
This is just really beautiful. Also, not the point, but her outfit is gorgeous.
10. Garth Brooks & Muppets, comedy? Country?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz4DaizbuCU
Reallllly unclear what genre this is but it’s just so funny to see Garth Brooks kicking chickens on the Disney Channel.
9. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, jazz
A really neat jazz/trumpet interpretation of “If I Were a Rich Man,” released in 1966.
8. The Portnoy Brothers, smooth jazz/blues
These Jewish brothers make Fiddler sound…. cool?
7. Grandpa Elliot, street performance
One, the chicken noises are fantastic. Two, his overalls! That hat! Three, WHAT A PERFORMANCE. All hail Grandpa Elliot.
6. Semi-Toned, A Capella
Super high production quality (like, weirdly high quality for an a capella music video?!). And it’s a mash-up of Gwen Stefani and the original Fiddler song. Plus period-accurate costumes.
5. Levantino, Yiddish version
Who knew Yiddish reggae existed!??! Not us. But it’s our new favorite genre.
4. Chaim Topol, Movie version
THE classic. How could we not include it?
3. Gwen Stefani, “If I Were a Rich Girl”
We heart Gwen Stefani. Enough said.
2. Danny Burstein, Broadway Revival
Danny Burstein just really captures Tevye and we can’t help but smile. Plus, those moooves.
1. Katrina Lenk, MisCast 2018
BOW DOWN to your Fiddler Queen.