UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                             _____________________

                                    FORM 8-K
                CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
       DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): NOVEMBER 17, 2004

                             _____________________

                                 HOT TOPIC, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        CALIFORNIA                   0-28784                     77-0198182
     (State or other         (Commission File Number)         (I.R.S. Employer
     jurisdiction of                                        (Identification No.)
      incorporation)

              18305 E. SAN JOSE AVENUE
            CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA                          91748
      (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (626) 839-4681

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

|_|      Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
         (17 CFR 230.425)

|_|      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
         CFR 240.14a-12)

|_|      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
         Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
         Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



ITEM 2.02         RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 is a copy of a press release that Hot Topic,
Inc. issued on November 17, 2004 reporting, among other things, its results for
the third quarter of fiscal 2004 (quarter ended October 30, 2004).

ITEM 9.01         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)  EXHIBITS.

99.1              PRESS RELEASE OF HOT TOPIC, INC., DATED NOVEMBER 17, 2004.

The information in this Current Report is being furnished and shall not be
deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities
of that Section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regardless of
any general incorporation language in such filing.


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                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                                   HOT TOPIC, INC.


                                                   By: /s/ JAMES MCGINTY
                                                       -------------------------
                                                       James McGinty
                                                       CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Date: November 17, 2004

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                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

99.1     PRESS RELEASE OF HOT TOPIC, INC., DATED NOVEMBER 17, 2004.





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