Elton John and Madonna end decades-long feud and tease collaboration
They met on Saturday Night Live
For many years, Elton John and Madonna have had a strained relationship. It all stems from when Elton said the James Bond song Madonna wrote and performed for Die Another Day, was "the worst Bond tune ever". Two years later, the 'Rocketman' singer accused Madonna of lip-syncing.
However, more than 20 years later the pair appear to have made up, as Madonna shared a lengthy post on Instagram explaining how Elton apologised to her and the pair have even talked about working on a song together, which Elton has penned.
Madonna posted a photo of the pair hugging, writing: 'We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!
'I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.
'I remembered when I was in high school- I snuck out of the house one night to see Elton perform live in Detroit! It was an unforgettable performance that helped me understand the transformative power of music.
'Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life. I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different-to stand out- to take the road, less traveled by. In fact, it was essential.'
She went on to say: 'Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it. I was told Elton John was the musical guest on SNL and I decided to go.
'I needed to go backstage and confront him . When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, “Forgive Me” and the wall between us fell down.
'Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging.
'Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!
'And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….💙🩵🩶'.
In response to Madonna's post, Elton added a long reply writing: '@madonna Thank you for coming to see me at SNL. And thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth. I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist - paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves. You were also one of the very first people to rise up against HIV/AIDS in the 80’s, bringing love and compassion to so many who desperately needed it.
'I’m grateful we can move forward. 🙏🏻🚀
'I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment.
'Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world. By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support. And have a lot of fun doing it!! ❤️❤️🚀🚀'.
Will Elton John and Madonna release a song together?
The pair have not confirmed they are doing a collaboration, however in her post, Madonna wrote: 'Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!'
It certainly sounds like there could be a song coming.
Take a look through Elton John's collaborations:
'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' - Kiki Dee
'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' proved to be a career defining duet as it was both Elton John and Kiki Dee's first Number 1 single in the UK, making it into the charts in 1976.
Listen on YouTube.
'That's What Friends Are For' - Dione Warwick, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder
This classic track brought together the iconic musicians Elton John, Dione Warwick, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder and went on to win Grammy awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. Released in 1985, this charity single also helped raise money for funding AIDS research.
Listen on YouTube.
'Through the Storm' - Aretha Franklin
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin released her 32nd studio album 'Through the Storm' in 1984, and Elton John joined her on the title track. Sadly the song didn't chart in the UK Top 40, however it was a Top 20 hit in the US Billboard Hot 100.
Listen on YouTube.
'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' - George Michael
Elton John and George Michael performed Elton's hit song 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' at Live Aid in 1985. This duet version was a huge success and was released as a single in 1991, which peaked at Number 2 on the UK Charts. In May 2024 the song was certified Silver in the UK, selling 200k units.
Watch them sing it live on YouTube.
'The Power' - Little Richard
Rock 'n' Roll musician Little Richard was a big musical influence for Elton, so when he was making his 1993 album 'Duets', he reached out to collaborate on the gospel track 'The Power'.
Listen on YouTube.
'Makin’ Whoopee' - Rod Stewart
Elton and Rod Stewart teamed up to create jazz song 'Makin' Whoopee' in 2005. The song was originally sung in 1928 by Eddie Cantor and has been covered numerous times since its release. The pair also had a connection after Rod covered Elton's 'Your Song' in 1991.
Listen on YouTube.
'Face To Face' - Gary Barlow
Elton joined Gary Barlow on his 2013 track 'Face to Face'. The duet was a long time coming as they have been friends for years. Elton was also a huge influence on Gary's career, with Gary saying that he started playing piano because of Elton.
Listen on YouTube.
'Face To Face' - Gary Barlow
Elton joined Gary Barlow on his 2013 track 'Face to Face'. The duet was a long time coming as they have been friends for years. Elton was also a huge influence on Gary's career, with Gary saying that he started playing piano because of Elton.
Listen on YouTube.
'(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again' - Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton starred as Elton John in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, and Elton wrote the song '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again' for the film. The pair sang the song together and it went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Listen on YouTube.
'Ordinary Man' - Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne's title track 'Ordinary Man' from his 2020 album featured Elton who plays piano and sings on the track. The album got to Number 3 on the UK Chart.
Listen on YouTube.
'Finish Line' - Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder and Elton John have been friends for many years and worked together on 'That's What Friends Are For' with Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick, and Stevie also played the harmonica for Elton's 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues'.
Although they have worked together in the past, the song just the two of them, was 'Finish Line' on Elton's 'The Lockdown Sessions' album in 2021. Speaking about working with Stevie, Elton said it was a "real honour".
Listen on YouTube.
'Stolen Car' - Stevie Nicks
As part of his 'The Lockdown Sessions' album, Stevie Nicks joined the star-studded line-up to create 'Stolen Car' with Elton. Although the pair have been friends for a long time, this was the first time they had created a song together.
Listen on YouTube.
'It's A Sin' - Years & Years
Originally released by The Pet Shop Boys, Elton John and Years & Years performed their rendition of 'It's A Sin' at the 2021 BRIT Awards.
Watch their BRITs performance on YouTube.
'Cold Heart (PNAU remix)' - Dua Lipa
In 2021, Elton John asked pop singer Dua Lipa to sing the vocals on his new track 'Cold Heart (PNAU remix)' which was part of his incredible collaborations album 'The Lockdown Sessions'. The song went to Number 1 in the UK Charts and stayed there for 29 weeks, and after three years was certified 4x Platinum.
Listen on YouTube.
'Merry Christmas' - Ed Sheeran
Elton's friendship with Ed dates way back to their joint performance at the Grammys in 2013. Since then, the pair have become great mates, and finally collaborated on 2021 festive hit 'Merry Christmas' which went to Number 1 in the UK.
The song was nominated for a BRIT Award the following year, and to celebrate its second anniversary, the pair went to a football game together, where they also exchanged presents.
Listen on YouTube.
'Hold Me Closer' - Britney Spears
In 2022, Elton followed up his 'Cold Heart (PNAU remix)' with a remix of his track 'Tiny Dancer'. The song is called 'Hold Me Closer' and features Britney Spears' vocals. In January 2025, the track was certified Platinum.
Listen on YouTube.
Glastonbury 2023 - Jacob Lusk, London Community Gospel Choir, Stephen Sanchez, Brandon Flowers and Rina Sawayama
Elton brought out a whole host of new collaborators for his performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023. Throughout his 21-song set, Elton performed 'Are You Ready for Love' with Gabriels singer and American Idol star Jacob Lusk, as well as the London Community Gospel Choir who additionally joined him for 'Sad Songs (Say So Much)'. He later brought out US singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez to accompany him on his own song, 'Until I Found You', sang 'Tiny Dancer' with The Killers' Brandon Flowers and duetted with Rina Sawayama for 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'.
2025: Elton John released a collaborative album with Brandi Carlile
Elton John and Brandi Carlile worked on a full album together, writing the lyrics and music along with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. The album called 'Who Believes In Angels?' was released on 4th April 2025, it was preceded by the release of the title track.
Now read:
Elton John and Brandi Carlile have released their collaborative album 'Who Believes In Angels?'
Madonna's career story: The queen of pop music and ultimate fashion icon
Elton John: The man who gave us 'Rocket Man' and 'Tiny Dancer'