This topic hijacked an unrelated thread. So I’m starting this for people to argue here instead.
Round 1!
FIGHT!!!
Copying and pasting my main thesis on the topic…
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I’ll add my own theory (opinion) the role of bass guitar in rock and other genre derived from it’s blues roots is primarily as the “Keeper of the Groove”. It’s really the fundamental part of the ensemble that people are dancing or “grooving” too.
Drums are the “time keeper”. The bass links with the drums as percussion with pitch control to become the rhythmic link between the other instruments that helps tie the piece together. In a certain sense bass is the “boss” who keeps the others in line.
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I think the role of bass is entirely dependent on the genre. Take what I would call hip pop, where the bass drives the song forward but a lot of rhythmic and melodic elements are derived from the vocals.
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Depends on what you’re playing. In my classic rock band, it was part groove holder and part lead. In the Hardcore Punk band, it was all rhythm. Currently playing covered so it’s about being recognisable when needed but overall, to sit behind the three (!) guitarists locked in with the drummer to keep people headbanging with the occasional flourish!
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In general, we are there to humbly lead the band. In most band I’ve been in every time something went wrong they are all look for me to get us out of the rut. We re the melodic part of the rhythm section.
Push comes to shove the band would let go of almost everyone else before they let the bass is go. That’s of course my bias opinion 
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Great description of dancing, thank you @BeerBaron. It was not until I read your introduction when you joined the Forum that I connected my inability to feel the ‘groove’ of a song to why I could never dance very well. At 74 that is sad, but true.
I found your post above very informative.
Also I had been dismayed that I could not hear the bass using headphones or wireless earbuds with my Kindle but that changed when I set the Amazon Music equalizer to Dance. Who knew!
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A rock band consists of a drummer, a bass player, and assorted novelty acts.
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Job security is a bassist who can sing and hold the groove when others insist on trying to destroy it. How many of you have ever played with a guitarist who believes that when he goes into a solo the tempo and groove belong to him? That’s when we really earn our keep. Can’t do much about his volume but we can the rest.
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… 
That one is perfect.
A team is always composed by Heart, Soul and random trick ponies…
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i never actually figured out how rush actually worked. geddy hardly ever stuck to what you could call a fundamental bassline. alex solo’d a lot. in later days they filled in the void with a lot of synth, which many rush fans actually hated. but in the early days they didn’t. and they were obviously a 3 piece. a great drummer can take up a lot of space, but still. also the same with primus, they manage to sound huge when they shouldn’t, a lot of jazz/prog noodling going on there, and only 3 guys.
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this might be the funniest video of the year. i mean, the guy is super talented obvs. but how out of touch is this? he thinks THIS is normal? also it touches on one of my current pet peeves, that if you do play fundamental classic basslines, in the pocket, with great timing and groove, everbody online says you suck. as i said in the comments, i am convinced that if jamerson himself came back and put out videos, he would get torn apart online. don’t get me wrong, i love all styles of bass. there is room for technicians and thumpers, you can like both berthoud and ian martin allison. both should be respected.
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Fun topic. Short answer is, the role of bass is to be awesome. As the joke goes, imagine needing 6 strings to sound good! (ya ya, I know there are 6 string basses, work with me here).
Serious answer, from this humble beginner-intermediate player, the role is to play what suits the music. It really is the key to holding the entire song/act together. No matter if it is a nice, simple chugging bassline or some crazy bass wizardry (Cliff Burton or Steve Harris off top of my head).
Some of my favorite songs have a simple bassline, no frills, just there to suit the music, and it works wonderfully. Other songs I can’t imagine without those iconic, instantly recognizable basslines that cut through all the other instruments. That suits those songs.
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This weekend got together with a friend’s family. At one point, the guitarist starts rushing and the drummer started lagging.
I’m in the middle looking back and forth between them trying to play the loudest, thuddiest quarter notes on the beat to try to pull everyone back together. Then the singer missed her entrance and everything ground to a hault.
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I kinda sorta disagree.
He may not have stuck to that basic bass line, but he was always there. Even in something like YYZ.
Although his lines move around a lot mid-measure, as near as I can tell, he pretty much always slams the root right on the 1, and tapers off the energy for a mini-resolution on the 4 (or maybe adds a leading tone).
And the band worked together as a whole, because Peart had impeccable timing and was almost melodic enough to keep a groove. Lifeson noodled a lot, but he had almost and airy ambient feel that leant texture and color, rather than really melodic lines like a Jimmy Page or Brian May. That frees up room in the music for Geddy to play more melodically.
Similar dynamics in bands like The Police, Tool, and Primus.
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Often really simple bass lines actually have a lot going on. I’ve been diving deeper into Talking Heads, and Tina Weymouth’s lines are… if you just looked at sheet music they’re very simple. But that allows her to make each time just subtly different. Letting her attack notes just a bit differently each time. Holding them for different lengths.
It’s not about what you play. It’s about how you play it. It’s about recognizing that the silence as integral to the music as the sound is.
Sting’s lines do much the same thing.
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He needs to play Creep (as written)
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And for the topic of this thread I believe it was the Germans who said it best,
“Bass ist alles”
I dream about a 4 piece band where the bass plays every part.
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Did everyone realise their error or did they blame you in the end? 