My gut tells me it's 'The Rebel Fleet/End Title' from The Empire Strikes Back...
This one piece has his best heroic theme (the Star Wars end credits arrangement), his best villain's theme (Imperial March), one of his best gentle themes (Yoda), his best romantic theme (Han and Leia), and his best closing sequence (love all of quick brass hits). After 44 years this one has lost none of its power.
I'd say "The Battle of Yavin/Death Star Attack" from Star Wars.
A 9+ minute epic action cue incorporating the Rebel Fanfare, Force Theme, Darth Vader's original theme (before the Imperial March was composed) and awesome percussion at the conclusion. Crank this up on your stereo!
These are all great choices. I'm listening to "The Mystery Woman" right now on the strength of that left-field pick. Of course WhoDat is right on the merits, but just to mix things up, I'm going to extend the logic and say "The Jedi Steps and Finale." It has the Main Title and Force Theme from Star Wars, but also Williams' single best post-Potter theme (Rey's Theme), a perfectly pitched mystery theme (perhaps the ultimate J.J. mystery box music) plus a buffet of his best single-movie theme set of the 21st century (sorry, A.I.). (That's actually a whole separate interesting question: best "theme ensemble" from a single film from each decade. Off to JWFan!)
Beyond that, though, it was such a triumphant spiking of the football for Williams. "Yes, I'm 80, and I've still freaking got it!" I'm not sure I've loved anything he's done since I was a kid as quickly as I loved that soundtrack.
Although Princess Leia's Theme has the kind of structure and crescendo you want from an iconic track, I gotta go with 'Ben Gardner's Boat', it encapsulates the atmosphere that Williams is able to conjure, and it represents the moment I got hooked, like a fish, by movies in general. A moment I can revisit every time I listen to it.
I've never been a "cue person", it's all about the album to me. Of course, I do notice highlight tracks as the album plays (or within films themselves), but rarely play said tracks over and and over again. Most of the time, I don't even know their names. It's slightly different with Williams, of course, since I know his work so well. So my choice is easy -- I take the best track from my favourite score JURASSIC PARK, which is "Journey to the Island". Case closed.
Dance of the Witches (of Eastwick). Brilliant. When I first heard the score it was where the fk did this come from. It seemed very different for him. And yet it's him.
There are countless others that are equally magnificent (indeed the entire scores are). Gillian's Escape and that 'added for the LP' Epilogue from THE FURY. Brody Misunderstood and Sean's Rescue from JAWS 2. Icy Ascent, Top Of The World or The Eiger from THE EIGER SANCTION. The Land Race from FAR & AWAY. Road To Memphis or the unreleased Horse Race from THE REIVERS. Jonathan's Death, Fortress Of Solitude or Helicopter Rescue from SUPERMAN. A ridiculous number from his many STAR WARS scores... See, it could go on forever.
Although Princess Leia's Theme has the kind of structure and crescendo you want from an iconic track, I gotta go with 'Ben Gardner's Boat', it encapsulates the atmosphere that Williams is able to conjure, and it represents the moment I got hooked, like a fish, by movies in general. A moment I can revisit every time I listen to it.
This is a really solid choice, imo.
Something about the beginning of the piece perfectly sums up the mystery, danger, and adventure of the high seas. It's a concept Williams would use again (very briefly) in HOOK.
"The Encased Mosquito" from JP creates a similar feeling for me--the way the dinosaur theme wraps around the piece like a strand of DNA, almost like it's trying to reach through time, coupled with the image of the raptor fossil. It's the implication of what is to come based around something that has already happened offscreen. Just absolutely brilliant writing and placement.
Obviously this is all subjective but those two pieces, underrated as they are, really show the genius of JW, imo.
