If anyone doubts the power of bass, they must listen to The Who (John Entwhistle), Rush (Geddy Lee), Primus (or any other of Les Claypool's bands), the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Flea), and Iron Maiden (Steve Harris). The bass doesn't always drive the songs (though with Rush, Primus, and Maiden it usually does), but the bass is nearly always a prominent feature of most songs by these bands.
You kindof have to train your ear to seperate all the tracks in a song so you can hear the bassline seperately from the lead and rhythm guitars. It's tricky, but you get the hang of it eventually. Once you do, I think your appreciation for the music you listen to can only increase.