Madonna and Elton John have finally buried the hatchet following a decades-long feud.

The two music icons shocked fans as they happily posed up together in an Instagram snap backstage at SNL – after years of acrimony including John, 78, branding Madonna, 66, a ‘fairground stripper’ and laying into her over winning a Golden Globe over him.

Madonna shared the snap and declared: ‘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.’

Madonna and Elton John have finally buried the hatchet following a decades-long feud

Unable to resist making a dig at the Your Song hitmaker’s past hurtful remarks, she continued: ‘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…’

John responded: ‘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.’

The battle began in 2002, when Sir Elton called Madonna’s track Die Another Day the ‘worst Bond tune ever’.

It escalated in 2004 at the Q Awards, where Sir Elton won the Classic Songwriter Award and Madonna was nominated for Best Live Act.

Accepting his accolade, he said from the stage: ‘Madonna, best live act? F*** off. Since when has lip-syncing been live? Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-syncs on stage in public when you pay like 75 quid to see them should be shot. Thank you very much. That’s me off her Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No.’

The two music icons shocked fans as they happily posed up together in an Instagram snap backstage at SNL – after John, 78, previously branded Madonna a ‘fairground stripper’ and laid into her over winning a Golden Globe over him

An apologetic John thanked Madonna for forgiveness

The battle began in 2002, when Sir Elton called Madonna’s track Die Another Day the ‘worst Bond tune ever’  (pictured 1998)

It escalated in 2004 at the Q Awards, where Sir Elton won the Classic Songwriter Award and Madonna was nominated for Best Live Act. Accepting his accolade, he said from the stage: ‘Madonna, best live act? F*** off. Since when has lip-syncing been live?’ (pictured 1995)

Madonna’s publicist responded: ‘Madonna does not lip-sync nor does she spend her time trashing other artists.

‘Elton John remains on her Christmas card list, whether he is nice… or naughty.’

John later called his Q Awards comments ‘unfair’ and added: ‘She’s been to my house for dinner. It was something I said in the heat of the moment, and probably should not have said.’

However, after Madonna turned down an invite to perform at his bachelor party, the singer was allegedly overheard telling his guests: ‘Madonna, the miserable cow, wouldn’t do it.’

Madonna’s spokesman responded: ‘Madonna wishes Elton all the best, and hopes married life will make him a happier person.’

In 2012, Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish also got in on the act. After Madonna took home the Golden Globe for best original song in 2012, beating Sir Elton, Mr Furnish said: ‘Madonna winning Best Original Song truly shows how these awards have nothing to do with merit. Her acceptance speech was embarrassing in its narcissism’.

John had previously said in the run- to the ceremony that Madonna had ‘no f***ing chance’ of winning against his track Hello Hello for animated film, Gnomeo & Juliet.

Madonna said in response: ‘Elton has been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award. I don’t feel bad.’

After Madonna took a swipe at fellow pop star Lady Gaga in 2012, branding her derivative, Sir Elton waded in again, little realizing his scathing comments would be broadcast on TV.

Lady Gaga is godmother to one of his sons and he said: ‘[Madonna is] such a nightmare. Sorry, her career is over. Her tour has been a disaster and it couldn’t happen to a bigger c***.

‘She’s been so horrible to Gaga. If Madonna had any common sense she’d have made a record like Ray Of Light, stayed away from the dance stuff and just been a great pop singer and make great pop records which she does brilliantly.

‘But no, she had to prove that she was, like… and she looks like a f**king fairground stripper.’

Speaking of the blunder, the music legend said: ‘I was furious and I said some pretty horrible things about her to a TV interviewer in Australia, a guy I’d known since the seventies called Molly Meldrum.

‘You can tell from the footage that it wasn’t part of the interview, that I was just sounding off to an old friend between takes…

‘They broadcast it anyway, which brought that particular old friendship to a very swift conclusion. Still, I shouldn’t have said it. I apologized.’

The pair’s feud was heightened after Madonna beat Elton to take home the Best Song award at the Golden Globe awards in 2012

Elton said in his memoir: ‘I got that Gaga’s single Born This Way definitely sounded similar to Express Yourself, but I couldn’t see why she was so ungracious and nasty about it’ (pictured with Gaga in 2016)

In 2016 John revealed he has buried the hatchet with Madonna after apologizing and putting the years of bickering aside.

The singer said the reconciliation came when they were coincidentally ended up at the same restaurant and he invited her to share a meal with him.

He told The Graham Norton Show; ‘I said something horrible about her that you should never say. I was in a restaurant in the south of France a couple of years ago and she walked in so I sent her a note saying, “You’ll probably never speak to me again but I am really sorry and ashamed of myself and can I buy you dinner.” She was very gracious and accepted and we talked. We are fine – it was just me and my big mouth.’

The father of two jokingly added: ‘I can’t say it won’t happen again but not with Madonna!’

And his words rang true in 2019, when he trotted out his feud with Madonna again in memoir Me, writing: ‘I used to make fun of [Madonna] for lip-syncing on stage, but the problem really started when she ran Gaga down on an American chat show.

‘I got that Gaga’s single Born This Way definitely sounded similar to Express Yourself, but I couldn’t see why she was so ungracious and nasty about it, rather than taking it as a compliment… particularly when she claims to be a champion for women.’

He added: ‘I think it’s just wrong — an established artist shouldn’t kick down a younger artist right at the start of their career.’