The single was released on EMI's Parlophone label in Britain (as Parlophone R 5389) on 3 December 1965, the same day as "Rubber Soul". The two releases coincided with speculation in the UK press that the Beatles' superiority in the pop world since 1963 might be coming to an end, given the customary two or three years that most acts could expect to remain at the peak of their popularity. "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" entered the UK Singles Chart (at the time, the "Record Retailer" chart) on 15 December, at number 2, before holding the top position for five consecutive weeks. The single also failed to top the national chart published by "Melody Maker" in its first week – marking the first occasion since December 1963 that a new Beatles single had not immediately entered at number 1. Although the single was an immediate number 1 on the "NME"s chart, the "Daily Mirror" and "Daily Express" newspapers both published articles highlighting the apparent decline. The record was the Beatles' ninth consecutive chart-topping single in the UK and the band's fastest-selling single there since "Can't Buy Me Love", their previous McCartney-led A-side. At the following year's Ivor Novello Awards, "We Can Work It Out" was acknowledged as the best-selling single of 1965, ahead of "Help!" By November 2012, it had sold 1.39 million copies in the UK, making it the group's fifth million-seller in that country. As of December 2018, the double A-side was the 54th best-selling single of all time in the UK – one of six Beatles songs included on the top sales rankings published by the Official Charts Company.